Calvert County, MD – As stewards of the GOP in the county, the Calvert County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC) has thought carefully and intentionally about the budget proposal to increase both income and property taxes. We have read the information provided by the BOCC on why these tax increases are necessary. We have listened intently at our past two meetings to the thoughts of Commissioners Slaughenhoupt, Nutter, and Weems. We understand and acknowledge the heavy burden of unfunded federal and state mandates and regulations.
However, we have also done our research on the substantial funding increase that Calvert expects from the state this year and have reviewed the spreadsheet the commissioners have been sending that outlines only one-fifth of the budget being up for review.As members of the Republican Party, all five commissioners ran on a platform of leaner government and less intrusion on the pockets of their constituents.
While we do not put all of the blame on this current board of commissioners, we cannot support these tax increases. Chief among the reasons we oppose this budget is that this is the only prepared proposal the county has presented to commissioners and the public. This budget is $8 million more than fiscal year 2016. Our hope is that the county will tighten their belts before deciding to force us to tighten ours further.We have also asked what steps the commissioners will take in the coming years to prevent further increases. We have not received a satisfactory answer to that question.
The county we love has seen a decrease in student enrollment, meaning young families are not arriving in Calvert County at the rates we have seen in the past. As more baby boomers retire and pay less income taxes, our tax base will continue to shrink. Without measured, thoughtful economic development, regular tax increases for those left will become the norm. The CCRCC opposes this version of the budget.
We propose that the county administrator prepares and presents to the public a budget that outlines what $10 million in cuts would look like, even if it means looking internally across departments to cut possible bloat and outdated processes. We hope the commissioners see the harmful effects this tax increase will cause on their constituents and make the hard decisions to find cuts.
